Refrigerant container



Nov. 6, 1928.

Original Filed Aug. 2, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l 8 a a n [7 m EILW I, T5

Patented Nov. 6, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,690,406 PATENT OFFICE.

GUSTAV J. GRUENDLER, 0F CLAYTON, MISSOURI.

I REFRIGERANT CONTAINER.

Original application filed August 2, 1926, Serial No 126,655.

Serial No. 231,085.

My invention relates to refrigerant containers and more particularly torefrigerant containers such as areadapted to be used to cool show caserefrigerators.

This application is a division of my pending application, Serial No.126,655, filed August 2, 1926, and this invention consists of theimprovements set forth below.

Heretofore in refrigerant containers of this type no adequate means forallowing a rising and falling of air up and down through the containerhas been provided. When the container was filled with a cooling mediumsuch as ice and salt or brine in scribed in my application Serial No.126,655

referred to above, since no means for allowing a movement of the air upand down through the container was provided a stag nant body of aircollected above the refrigerant container, thereby greatly decreasingthe efficiency of the container in cooling the re frigerator. i

The principal object of my inventionis to provide a refrigerantcontainer in which a vertical and horizontal circulation of airthroughout the whole container is allowed.

In the accompanying drawings Figs. 1 and 2 and elevation and plan,respectively, of one embodiment of my invention; Fig. 3 is a sectionalong the lines 33 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section along the lines 4-4 inFig. 2;

and Fig. 5 shows a slightly modified form of my invention.

Referring to the figures, both of the forms of refrigerant containershown therein as embodying my invention are preferably made of metal. Ineach embodiment the refrigerant container has an upper portion 1 open atthe top and a lower portion divided into a plurality of side legs 2 andan intermediate leg 3 all extending downwardly from said upper portion.The form of container shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 have the side legsthereof open at the bottom, as shown, and are otherwise adapted andarranged to be filled with cracked ice and salt as a cooling medium. Theform of container shown in Fig. 5 has the lower ends of the downwardlyeX- tending legs closed and otherwise adapted to be filled with brinewith a cooling coil immersed therein, all as shown in my previousapplication referred to above. These legs are spaced apart to form'airpassa es 4 extending vertically through the re rigerant Divided and thisapplication filed November container from front to back between adjacentlegs, as clearly shown in the figures. The air passages 4 are open alongthe bottom of the container, have their sides formed by the walls ofadjacent legs, and have the upper wall 5 thereof positionedsubstantially midway the top and bottom of the refrigerant container.

A plurality of air ducts 6 are positioned to lead through the upperportion and, preferably. are arranged with the lower ends thereofopening through the upper wall 5 into an air passage 4 and with theupper ends thereof terminating just below the top of the refrigerantcontainer but above the normal level of brine, ice and salt or othercooling medium in the container which level is indicated by the dottedlines in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5. Braces 7 may be provided to extend betweenadjacent air ducts 6 and between the end air ducts and the side walls ofthe upper portion 1 to prevent the air ducts/from being bent out ofposition by movement of the brine in the, container or, if therefrigerant container is adapted for use with ice and salt, to preventthe air ducts from being moved and bent when ice is introduced into thecontainer.

In the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, theintermediate leg 3 is closed at its lower end and in order that thebrine resulting from the melting of the ice in the intermediate leg mayflow from the refrigerant container I provide tubes 8 extending betweenthe intermediate leg and the side legs, as shown in the figures. Iprefer that only two tubes be provided, one at each end of thecontainer, as shown in Fig. 4. In the embodiment of my invention shownin Fig. 5, the refrigerant container as stated, is adapted to be filledwith brine and in this embodiment the tubes 8 will function in themanner described in my previous application, re-

ferred to above, and from which this appli- V air passages @duringwhichpassage it will be furthercooled hythe Walls ottheainduets and also bythe adjacent walls of the downwardly extending legs ateither sideof theair passages 4.

I prefer that the air ducts 6 befrustro-conical in shape with the largeend at the top, as in the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1 to4, inclusive, since as the air is cooled and falls downwardly itcontracts in volume. However-J donot purpose-to limit nyinvention ;toanygshape or form of air ductsinnd the air ducts. may be cylindrical inshape asiin the.cmbodi nentshown in Fig. 5.

Itmay be readily seenthat the details of construction of variousembodiments of my invention nay he. changed within wide limits withoutdeviating from the spiritof the claims included below.

'Whatl elaimiasnew and desireto secure by Letters {Pa-tent, is

l. A refrigerant container-for refrigerators having ,an I air passageextending therethrough, an Hair. duet extending dowmyardly through saidcontainer from ahoy e said refrigerant into said i air passage.

A- refri gerant container for, refrigerators having an airpassage;extending horizontally theretln'oughf'from frontto back, a pluralityofair {ducts extending downwardly from above. said refrigerant throughsaid container intosaid air passage and .said .air duets being frustroconieal inshape with the large ends thereof at the ;top.

. 3,. A refrigerant ,containenfor refrigera- V tors comprisingan upper,portion with a plurality h of ilegs extending downwardly therefrom, saidlegs being spaced apart to form an refrigerant container into said airpassage.

A refri erant container for refriger:

tors comprising an upper portion with a .pluality. oflegs extendingdownwardly therefrom, said legs being spaced apart to form an airpassageextending through fll(l l0 fl'l gcl' ant container betweenadjacent legs, and a plurality of air duets leading through said upperportion of said refrigerant 7 container into .said air, prest ge.

5 A refrigerant container for 1 'efrigerntors comprising an upperportion with a plurality o l' spaced leg extending downwardly therefrom;said legs being arranged to form one .01 more ,ai1 1')assages,e1rtend1ng throngh said refrigerantcontainer, and a pluralityof air ducts extending downward ly through said upper portionofsaidcontainer into said air Pa sage ..6. A refrigerant container forrefrigerators comprising an upper f portion with three substantiallyarallel legs egrtendingdownwardly theretroin, said legs being spacedapart to formtwo air passages ex end eg through.saidjcontainer,aqplurality of a r ducts extendingiromgnear thetop of saidrefrigerantcontainer' into said air passages, and tuhes connecting theiintermediateof'said legs with each of the other legs near the bottom thereof, saidtubesbeing arranfed and positioned so that brine may fiow'lietween saidintermediate leg and eachof said other in witness whereofl havefsignedmy name to thisspecification.

A :GUSTAV J. GRUENDLER.

